


fuck it, i'm making my own: a dragon age elvish dictionary

by mermaidhanji



Series: fuck it, i'm making my own: a guide to dragon age elvish [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Dictionary, Elves, Elvish, jewish author, jewish elves, trans author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26553325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaidhanji/pseuds/mermaidhanji
Summary: i made my own dragon age elvish dictionary, with both canon and non-canon words, for the sake of fic and whatever else ya like.
Series: fuck it, i'm making my own: a guide to dragon age elvish [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931044
Kudos: 2





	1. foreword

HELLO EVERYONE!!! presenting the fruit of my staring at my computer screen and muttering fake words to myself: **a dictionary compiling my translations and expansions on dragon age elvish.** i really love working with elvish; for fics, to come up with names for my protags, to understand canon elvish a little more, for whatever the fuck u want! but i found dragon age wiki incomplete, a lot of people (myself included) aren’t comfortable using project elvhen anymore cause of the guy behind it, and there are just some things i wanted to have elvish words for but there weren’t any. SO, i thought, fuck it! i’m making my own dictionary and guide to elvish!!!

a lot of these words are from canon, whether we know the definition of them or i deduced/guessed what the words meant myself. a couple words are from project elvhen b/c i had already used it long ago to make names for my elf protags, but i hereby cleanse these few root words and they now belong to us. and a lot i also made up myself! whether by combining words from canon, taking a couple from tevene (since it seems a few tevene words come from elvish), basing them off real life languages like hebrew or yiddish (just as personal jewish experience lol), taking a bit from tolkien elvish, or just playing around with sounds until i figured out something i liked that sounded elvish.

consider this also layman’s elvish. i’m by no means a linguist, but i’m really interested in language and trying to learn a few more! i fucking SUCK at grammar tho and honestly, so does elvish. since it’s a cipher it’s kind of a mess but we love her that way. grammar? don’t know her! elvish doesn’t know her either!!!! that’s why im like, fuck it dude, do what u please!!!!!

you can also find this [on tumblr](https://thedreadgay.tumblr.com/post/629735068771958784/fuck-it-im-making-my-own-a-dragon-age-elvish)! if ur curious about how i came up with or translated certain things, check out my [elvish tag](https://thedreadgay.tumblr.com/tagged/elvish) or send me an ask/reply! i've also reposted my explanations here on ao3 as a second part to this series. and if ur looking for something specific, u can open the page and use ur browser’s ‘find in page’ search function. so without any further ado: elvish.


	2. A-G

**A**

**-aan:** long, great

 **abelas:** sorrow, to be sorry

 **abelath:** apology

 **adahl:** tree

 **adahlen:** wood, forest

 **alas:** ground, earth

 **all:** life

 **ame:** keeper

 **amelin:** name, one’s essence, lit. ‘keeping blood’

 **-an:** place

 **a’nansal-in:** ‘one who is another blessing’ or ‘my child’s blessing’, granddaughter, grandchild (fem)

 **anar:** year; pl. **anaris**

 **andar:** weed, pl. **andaris**

 **ar:** i, first person pronoun

 **aravas:** travel

 **arela:** parallel

 **arelin:** cousin, lit. ‘parallel blood’

 **arla:** trap, binding

 **as, -as:** to act, an action

 **asha:** woman, feminine gender

 **ashir:** sleep

 **assan:** arrow

 **athim:** humility

 **athila:** share, lit. ‘humble giving’

 **athillethal:** a term for in-laws, one kin is shared with, lit. ‘shared kin’

 **athlan:** call

 **atisha:** peace

 **avare:** oath, covenant, bond

 **avarellan:** ‘one i have an oath of love with’, wife, spouse (fem)

 **avarellen:** ‘one i have an oath of love with’, spouse (neutral)

 **avarellin:** ‘one i have an oath of love with’, husband, spouse (masc)

**B**

**bal:** deep

 **balaur:** griffon

 **ban:** black

 **banal:** never, nothing, void

 **banalethal:** ‘not kin’, implies severing of ties

 **banal’ras:** shadow, lit. ‘no light’

 **bell:** many

 **bellanaris:** eternity, a concept of time more than infinity, which would be **u**

 **bor:** throw, toss

 **bora:** loss, lost

 **bor’assan:** bow, lit. ‘arrow thrower’

**D**

**da-:** small, little

 **da’enansallan:** ‘little one who is a blessing’, the youngest daughter (fem)

 **da’enansallen:** ‘little one who is a blessing’, the youngest child (neutral)

 **da’enansallin:** ‘little one who is a blessing’, the youngest son (masc)

 **da’lan:** girl, little girl (fem)

 **da’len:** child, little one (neutral or unspecified)

 **da’lin:** boy, little boy (masc)

 **dar:** to be

 **daras:** being, existing

 **dell:** noise, noisy

 **delltash:** ‘quiet your noise,’ essentially ‘shut up’

 **denn:** out, away

 **desen:** to hold

 **din:** dead, the dead

 **din’an:** death

 **dir:** the self

 **dirth:** knowledge, secrets, tell; speak in the sense of sharing knowledge or understanding, as opposed expressing something, which is **nuven**

 **dirthara:** learn

 **dirthavaren:** promise, lit. ‘spoken oath’

 **dirthera:** to tell tales

 **dor:** grey

 **dor’balauren:** grey griffons, a name for the grey wardens

 **durgen:** stone

 **durgen’len:** dwarves, lit. ‘children of the stone’

**E**

**ea:** bird

 **elgahren:** ancestor, lit. ‘spirit elder’

 **elgar:** spirit

 **elgar’arla:** a binding circle to hold a spirit or demon, lit. ‘spirit trap’

 **elgara:** sun

 **elgaras:** sunlight

 **eltia:** a head covering meant to symbolize awareness of divine presence, the gaze of one’s ancestors watching over them, or to better connect with the spiritual; lit. ‘spirit veil’

 **eludinaras:** moonlight

 **eludinas:** the moons, luna and satina

 **elune:** the larger moon, luna

 **eluneras:** the light of luna

 **eluvas:** to see, to look

 **eluvian:** mirror, lit. ‘seeing glass’

 **elvhen:** elves, the people

 **elvhenan:** the elven empire, the place of the people

 **emma:** within

 **en:** short

 **ena:** emerge, led

 **enansal:** blessing

 **e’nansal-in:** ‘one who is another blessing’ or ‘my child’s blessing’, grandchild (unspecified or neutral)

 **enansallan:** ‘one who is a blessing’, daughter (fem)

 **enansallen:** ‘one who is a blessing’, child (neutral)

 **enansallin:** ‘one who is a blessing’, son (masc)

 **enasal:** joy in triumph, joyous relief

 **enasalin:** victory

 **enaste:** favour

 **enfenim:** to fear

 **eo:** skill, skilled

 **era:** tale, legend, history

 **eth:** safe

 **evanura:** prosperity

**F**

**falon:** friend

 **fan:** precious

 **fantia:** crown, tiara

 **fel:** slow

 **fen:** wolf

 **firida:** green

**G**

**gaera:** walk

 **gaerasyl:** run, lit. ‘walk like wind’

 **garas:** come, move

 **ghilana:** to guide

 **ghilas:** to go

 **glandival:** belief


	3. H-Q

**H**

**hahren:** elder

 **halam:** end

 **halani:** help

 **hamin:** rest

 **hanin:** knight

 **harel:** lie, deception, trick

 **harellan:** trickster, traitor

 **harillen:** opposition

 **hasa:** twirl, spin

 **hasamima:** snowflake, lit. ‘twirling ice’

 **hela:** struggle, fight

 **hellathen:** noble struggle

 **him:** become

**I**

**-in:** additional, rather than multiple, which is **-is**

 **inan:** once

 **i’nansal-in:** ‘one who is another blessing’ or ‘my child’s blessing’, grandson, grandchild (masc)

 **ir:** i am, first person pronoun

 **iras:** where

 **irassal:** wherever

 **-is:** multiple, rather than in addition, which is **-in**

 **isala:** needing, need

 **ise:** fire

 **ise’thenera:** veilfire

**L**

**la:** and

 **lan:** person (fem)

 **las:** grant, give

 **lasalin:** to conceive, lit. ‘give blood’

 **lassyl:** to birth, lit. ‘give air’

 **lath:** love

 **lathlan:** ‘one i love/one who loves me’, lover, paramour, partner (fem)

 **lathlen:** ‘one i love/one who loves me’, lover, paramour, partner (neutral)

 **lathlin:** ‘one i love/one who loves me’, lover, paramour, partner (masc)

 **len:** person (neutral)

 **lethal:** kin

 **lethal’him:** ‘one i became kin with’, a person who has become family in the many ways one can become family; found family, marriage, etc.

 **lia:** flower

 **lin:** blood, person (masc)

 **linavare:** a life-or-death oath, lit. ‘blood oath’

 **lothlen:** forgotten

**M**

**ma:** you

 **maehah:** ‘elder mother’, granny (fem)

 **maehahlin:** ‘my grandmother’s blood’, maternal great aunt/uncle

 **maehahren:** ‘elder mother’, grandmother (fem)

 **maelin:** ‘my mother’s blood’, maternal aunt/uncle

 **mala:** your (defined by case)

 **mamae:** mother, parent (fem)

 **mar:** your (defined by case)

 **melana, melava:** time

 **melanada:** all time, lit. ‘inevitable time’

 **melar:** here, now, present

 **mellavar:** on time

 **mi:** blade

 **mi’durgen:** diamond, lit. ‘stone blade’

 **mien:** short blade

 **mien’harel:** rebellion, a violent call to justice

 **min:** a partition, something that separates one thing from another

 **mindar:** the veil, lit. ‘divider between states of being’

 **mir:** my

 **mirlin:** ‘my blood’, sibling

 **mima:** ice, lit. ‘water blade’

**N**

**na:** is

 **nadas:** inevitable, something that must be

 **nae:** no

 **nal:** thing, matter

 **nan:** revenge, vengeance

 **nehn:** joy

 **numin:** cry

 **nuven:** say; speak in the sense of expressing something, rather than sharing knowledge, which is **dirth**

**O**

**olam:** the world in the broader, ideological sense; different from the world as in land, which is **vhen’alas**

**P**

**paehah:** ‘elder father’, grampy (masc)

 **paehahlin:** ‘my grandfather’s blood’, paternal great aunt/uncle

 **paehahren:** ‘elder father’, grandfather (masc)

 **paelin:** ‘my father’s blood’, paternal aunt/uncle

 **papae:** father, parent (masc)

 **par:** skitter, scuttle

 **par'as:** skittering, scuttling

 **penshra:** an insult, possibly akin to ‘bumbling fool’

**Q**

**quena:** why

 **qunlen:** qunari, lit. ‘qun children’


	4. R-Z

**R**

**ras:** light

 **renan:** voice

 **revas:** freedom

 **ri:** white

**S**

**sa:** one

 **sadina:** the smaller moon, satina

 **sadinaras:** the light of satina

 **saehah:** ‘elder parent’, grampy/granny (neutral or unspecified)

 **saehahlin:** ‘my grandparent’s blood’, great aunt/uncle (neutral or unspecified)

 **saehahren:** ‘elder parent’, grandparent (neutral or unspecified)

 **saelin:** ‘my parent’s blood’, aunt/uncle (neutral or unspecified)

 **sahlin:** now, arrive

 **samahl:** laugh

 **san:** two

 **san’maehahren:** great grandmother, second generation of elders (fem)

 **san’paehahren:** great grandfather, second generation of elders (masc)

 **san’saehahren:** great grandparent, second generation of elders (neutral)

 **sana’nansal-in:** great granddaughter, second generation of additional blessings (fem)

 **sane’nansal-in:** great grandchild, second generation of additional blessings (neutral or unspecified)

 **sani’nansal-in:** great grandson, second generation of additional blessings (masc)

 **sasae:** parent (neutral)

 **se:** magic

 **sede:** justice

 **sede’a:** the act of bringing justice into the world by equity, such as giving your excess to those in need; doing one’s part to enact justice

 **selen:** mage, lit. ‘magic person’

 **seranna:** excuse, pardon, a general word for politeness

 **serannas:** thanks

 **sethenera:** the fade

 **setheneran:** lit. ‘land of waking dreams’, a place where the veil is thin

 **shem:** quick

 **shemlen:** humans, lit. ‘quick children’

 **shiral:** journey

 **shiva:** ‘mourning duty’, the mourning practice that takes place after an immediate family member dies

 **shive:** duty

 **sirith:** a prayer shawl

 **so:** weary, tired

 **solas:** pride

 **somniar:** to dream, the act of dreaming

 **sulahn:** sing

 **suledin:** endure

 **sulevin:** purpose

 **suli:** untorn, unbroken, whole

 **sumeil:** close, near, approach

 **syl:** breath, air, wind

 **sylvir:** fly, lit. ‘path of wind’

**T**

**tan:** three

 **tan’maehahren:** great great grandmother, third generation of elders (fem)

 **tan’paehahren:** great great grandfather, third generation of elders (masc)

 **tan’saehahren:** great great grandparent, third generation of elders (neutral)

 **tana’nansal-in:** great great granddaughter, third generation of additional blessings (fem)

 **tane’nansal-in:** great great grandchild, third generation of additional blessings (unspecified or neutral)

 **tani’nansal-in:** great great grandson, third generation of additional blessings (masc)

 **tara:** up, above

 **taramima:** snow, lit. ‘ice from above’

 **tarasyl:** sky

 **tarasyma:** rain, lit. ‘sky water’

 **tarasyma’durgen:** hail, lit. ‘stone rain’

 **tare:** concept, idea, notion, thought, pl. **tares**

 **taren:** mind, pl. **tarenis**

 **tash:** silence, quiet

 **tel-:** not, without

 **tellethal:** ‘not kin’, someone with no familial relation

 **tenebra:** owl

 **thadra:** honour

 **thami:** feather

 **thea:** noble, of good heart

 **then:** awake

 **thenera:** a dream, lit. ‘mind tales like waking’, pl. **theneras**

 **tia:** something you wear on your head, word for a hat or another head covering

 **tisun:** to repair, to mend, to heal

 **tisun’olam:** lit. ‘repair of the world,’ the concept of doing one’s part to better the world while one resides in it

 **tisulen:** mender, healer

**U**

**u:** eternity, a concept of infinity more than time, which would be **bellanaris**

 **uthenera:** when immortal elves would sleep, lit. ‘eternal waking dream’

 **uve:** eye, pl. **uves**

**V**

**va:** grief, mourning

 **vallas:** set, the act of setting; a word for writing

 **var:** our

 **vellatha:** follow

 **vhen:** people

 **vhen’alas:** lit. ‘the people’s ground,’ the world, more in the sense of land or the planet; different from the world in a broader, ideological sense, which is **olam**

 **vhenan:** heart

 **vhenas:** home

 **via:** something that retains knowledge, as in glass (eluvian), books, or memories

 **vir:** path, way

 **virima:** river, lit. ‘water path’

 **viris:** the paths, the elvish name for the crossroads

 **vora:** a dedication, a commitment

 **vun:** day, pl. **vunis**

**Y**

**yima:** water

 **yimaan:** a sea, lit. ‘great water’

 **yimashir:** a pond, still water, lit. ‘sleeping water’


End file.
